


The Manor

by SurpySoup



Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-25
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 19:58:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/653876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SurpySoup/pseuds/SurpySoup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel gets called to visit an old man before meeting with Alexander Brennenburg. There's something terribly strange about this place, though...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't Fall Asleep

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time trying to write anything remotely creepy... So give me pointers if you think I need any!

I was told to meet some man. This man was interested in my journal pages from Algeria, and expressed interest in hearing my tale. So I agreed to meet with him. A carriage picked me up a few days later and brought me out of town to one of the old estates in the countryside. It was a lovely place during the day. The grounds were well-kept, manicured. It seemed like a silly detail to focus on, but those days I was so high-strung I wanted something else to think about. I was met at the door by a hired butler and was shown to a room. Apparently the man of the house had been called away as I was just arriving. I was allowed room and board until he returned, if I so wished it. I had agreed.

Later that night, I sat at the writing desk, sorting through my journal entries, preparing for when the man I was to meet returned. I'll admit, I was quite excited to meet him face to face. No one else gave my journals a second thought. They all wrote me off as insane. It was a relief that I might be able to clear my name. As I was musing about the upcoming meeting, there was a peculiar noise from the corridor. I brushed it off--the butler may've just killed a pest.

The house grew quiet again, aside from the normal creaking of settling wood. I vaguely wondered how old the manor must have been, but it was a background thought. I listened to the sounds more closely, finding some comfort in it. I decided that it was probably a good time to go to bed, so I stood from the desk to prepare myself for sleep.

Then something hit the door. The old wood shuddered from the force. I felt my heart skip a beat and thud painfully at the next knock. My right hand floundered behind me, trying to find something to defend myself with. In my blind groping, I knocked over the candle on the desk. It went out with a soft hiss and plunged me into darkness. The beating of the door and my heart only got louder and faster.

Dust was falling from the door, and eventually the sound of splintering wood screamed as the door burst open. I braced myself, eyes wide and trying to see through the cloud of dust. I heard something, metal scratching against the wall. The sound made me shiver involuntarily. Then the dust cleared and I saw what broke my door. It was tall and bald. I couldn't see its face, or make out much of its body. It looked like it was wearing a kilt or something. There was something terribly wrong about it, something that offended my very being. Quickly, I looked away, ducking down near the desk. Its breathing was ragged and hissing and its footsteps thudded loudly on the floor. There was a blade, a machete, and it dragged on the floor next to the man's feet.

I don't know if it saw me, but I didn't want to find out. I heard it walk around the room, the step drag, step drag, step drag. Shivers kept convulsing up and down my spine. I glanced over my shoulder and saw it going toward my bed. As it got closer, I got a better look at it.

It had no face. Instead, its entire head was split open into a jagged gash with teeth. It was like a sideways mouth, horrific and nasty. The rest of the creature was just as bad. Its limbs were unnaturally long and thin, and metal bars were screwed into them. The machete that I thought it was holding was in fact attached to its arm. It had no hand! It appeared to be clothed in pieces of scrap metal and creaked as it walked. It crossed the room to my bed and raised its machete-hand slowly, then brought it down swiftly. I flinched and realized with horror that the creature was trying to kill me!

It continued destroying the bed for some time, giving me the chance to sneak out unnoticed. I had to call up a mental map of the manor, because in the dark everything looked so different. I only had to go down the hall and follow the stairs down into the foyer. I just had to leave this estate and I would be fine. I hoped that was the case as I stumbled down the wooden stairs. There was a sound from upstairs that made my heart twist. A blood-curdling roar shook the house, a sign that the monster probably realized I wasn't in the bed as I should've been. With the chilling roar at my back, I rushed along the foyer hallway with my heart pounding in my throat.

_Dear Lord, don't let it find me. Just let me get outside!_

I latched onto the doors' handles and pulled, and even braced my foot against the wall at one point. They wouldn't budge! I looked down to see the doors were capable of being locked from the inside. I would need a key. But the only person I knew of with a key to the doors would be the butler. He was surely not here... Or he was dead.

And then a thought occurred to me: there was no way that monster could exist in reality. It was an abomination. So the answer was clear. This was obviously a nightmare.

I turned and looked at the doors with this new knowledge, and tried again. They still wouldn't open. Cursing quietly, I turned away in frustration. Surely there was another way out, a back door to the grounds or something. Before I continued, I looked around. I remembered seeing a lantern earlier that day, hanging on a peg near the doors. It was probably used for greeting guests late at night, but it would have to do. Sure enough, there was a lantern hanging by the doors. I pulled it down, listening for the sloshing of oil.

_Good, not empty_ , I thought to myself. There was a small table with a drawer nearby, probably with a few tinderboxes for lighting this particular lantern. I yanked the drawer open viciously, because just at that point I thought I heard something in one of the other rooms. Two small tinderboxes flew forward and slammed into the front of the drawer, startling me. I scooped them up and used one to light the lantern. The other one was stashed in my pocket.

I turned with the lantern, letting its glow bathe the rest of the foyer. It looked much better. At least now I would be able to navigate this crazy nightmare.


	2. Exploring A Nightmare

Cautiously, I moved away from the front doors. I felt secure now that I had the lantern and the knowledge that this was all just a dream. Suddenly the strange noises from upstairs didn’t seem so bad. I knew that I was really upstairs, probably asleep at the writing desk. Safe.

I shrugged my shoulders at my own musings and decided to go up the same stairs as before. I just wanted to reassure myself that this was only a dream. At the landing, I paused and peered around the corner. The hallway was dark and the light of the lantern didn’t reach very far. However, the monster from before was nowhere in sight. So I stepped out into the corridor and slowly made my way to the door of the guest room.

It was hanging on by one hinge and quite a bit of it was completely torn up. A knot was beginning to form in my throat. I continued on passed the door and looked into my room. Perhaps I was expecting to see myself, sleeping at the desk. I wasn’t. Half of the writing desk was across the room, the other half leaning on the ground. My journal pages were gone. What really made my heart sink was the bed. It was in shreds. That meant the monster had been in here.

Of course, I wasn’t too worried. I quickly assured myself that this was just a nightmare. That phrase was becoming a mantra at this point. As long as I reminded myself, I would be okay. I was okay.

Since there was nothing for me here, I left the room. I went back into the corridor and looked around. I would need the keys to the door to get out, so I would have to find the butler’s quarters. I had no clue where that would be, or even if he had any. It was possible that he simply came in during the day and lived in his own house elsewhere.

There were several other rooms on this floor--likely other guest rooms. This manor was certainly large enough to house a few families. So I went over to the door next to mine and tried opening it. It wiggled, but the latch wouldn’t lift. Locked. The next was also locked, as was the next, and the next, and the next. I gave up and returned to the stairs. There was probably a cupboard downstairs where the butler kept some things when he came by. I crept down the stairs again, slightly frightened by the sound of the creaking wood. It sounded so unnatural.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs, I raised the lantern to plot my next move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I decided to explore the kitchen area. The butler’s cupboard was probably somewhere in there. I had to remember where the dining room was so I could find the kitchen in the first place. The butler hadn’t given me the grand tour when I’d arrived earlier that day, but I was given supper in the dining room. From the stairs, it was a left turn and an adventure down the hall. The hallway was bare except for candle sconces and a few picture frames. I didn’t bother looking at them--I had seen them before. They were just portraits of ancestors or something like that. The door to the dining room was just at the end of the hall and stood ajar. It gave me a bad feeling.

I approached cautiously, listening carefully. I didn’t want to run into another nightmare monster. So I nudged the door open and held the lantern close to limit the light. If something was in here, I didn’t want them to notice me. It seemed I was safe for now, so I ventured into the long room. There was a table that ran the length of the room, but it was bare. There were placemats and small candelabras, but no dishes on the table. I crept along slowly, my free hand tucked in my pocket and grasping the single tinderbox I had. My eyes were straining to see past the ring of light from the lantern, but only vague shapes could be made out. Then I heard something in the kitchen. A pot fell from a counter, probably. But instead of things settling back down, more dishes crashed to the floor. I kept moving toward the kitchen door, wincing with each loud noise. Then came a different sound. A quiet growl followed the last of the pots, sounding almost like someone trying to clear his throat. My lantern shook as I stopped by the door. I leaned against the wall and pushed the door lightly. It creaked as it opened and I heard another growl. Whatever was in there heard the door move. Panic gripped me by the neck, making it hard to breathe.

There were heavy footsteps, very solid thuds that weren’t like the first creature I’d seen. I lowered the lantern and dimmed its light, backing my way along the wall. I felt a door handle dig into my back. The footsteps were still approaching the doorway from the kitchen to the dining room, so I slipped into the other room. It turned out to be an adjoining parlor for entertaining guests after supper. There was another doorway on the wall perpendicular to the one I pressed myself against. It was closed, so I wasn’t too worried about it. I brought my attention back to the dining hall and peeked through the crack in the door.

Whatever was smashing pots finally moved into the dining room. It wasn’t visible just yet, it was only a shadowy outline. It shuffled around the table, coming a little closer. Eventually I was able to make out some of its features. The part that stood out the most was its lack of a lower jaw. Its mouth had been torn apart, its lips hanging and flopping about. It was disgusting. Then the clawed hand came into view. I had to stifle a gasp, pressing my free hand against my mouth. The longer I stared at it, the closer it seemed to get. It was walking towards me. Quickly, I looked away and backed up from the door. Its stitched body filled the view from the crack in the door, and it was not a pretty sight. I buried my face against my shoulder and relied on listening to its terrible growling.

I backed myself up against a sofa and carefully moved along its length to hide by the arm rest. A small end table was behind me and I leaned against its legs. The creature didn’t seem to notice me and shambled past the door. I breathed a quiet sigh of relief and crawled on all fours to the other side of the sofa. There was a writing desk against the wall, and I thought I saw something catch a glimmer of moonlight. Scrambling to my feet, I rushed to the desk unceremoniously, and grabbed at the shining object. It was an old key, possibly the one I needed! I would have to try it on the front doors. In my triumph, I turned and started moving back to the dining room door, having completely forgotten about the monster.

It reminded me of its presence, though. As I approached the door, I heard something slam into it, making it buckle. There were angry snarls coming from the other side, as wood began splintering from the door. It was the bedroom all over again. I pressed myself against the wall and hid behind a bookcase, crouching low to the ground. The key I put in my pocket, for safekeeping. I only heard the door burst open, but I saw the pieces fly into the room. The creature walked in without wasting any time. It stopped next to the sofa and seemed to be...looking for me. I tried to blend myself into the wall, pressing against it as much as I could. Apparently it worked well enough. As I shivered next to the bookcase, the monster stood there. It gurgled quietly as it breathed and eventually it turned toward the door on the opposite wall. I watched it walk away, my vision beginning to blur. My hands were going numb, but I could see them shaking violently.

I had to move, couldn’t stay cramped in danger any longer. I fled, panicking. Something fell off of the bookshelf during my escape and I looked up in time to see the creature turn on me again. I wasn’t fast enough in my stumbling. It caught up with me in no time and swung its nasty claws at me, catching my side. I staggered, jarred by the pain. My hand covered the wound and I could feel blood oozing from it. Adrenaline kicked in and I ran from the parlor, through the dining room, back into the foyer and straight into another room. I didn’t know if the creature followed me, but I knew one thing.

This wasn’t a dream.


	3. Ballroom Dancing

As soon as I entered the room, I fell against the wall. I sat there panting, hissing, and groaning for a moment before realizing that the door was still open next to me. I peered around the corner into the foyer again, eyes straining to see in the dark. I couldn't make anything out and didn't hear anything approaching, so I leaned back inside the room and carefully closed the door. After I heard the door latch click into place, I felt so much safer. My breathing was shallow, both out of panic and pain. I needed to see my wound, to assess the damage done. My shaking hands fumbled around my seated form, but I couldn't feel the lantern anywhere. That would explain why it was so dark in here--I forgot the lantern in the parlor. I must have dropped it, or forgot that I set it down in my haste to escape the monster... I cursed quietly, closing my eyes. I kept one hand pressed to the gashes, feeling the blood seep through the tears in my shirt. It gave me a queasy feeling, and my head was swimming with the pain.

 With my eyes closed, I felt like I could sense the design of the room I was in. It didn't feel stuffy, closed off, or small, but instead large, open. My breathing almost echoed in the room. It was big and empty. I wracked my brain, trying to think of what kind of room this would be. A manor... so they host parties in manors, right? Ahh... I felt so tired, just then. Like I couldn't move if I wanted to. Opening my eyes again was a struggle, but when I finally did, I was able to see more of the room now that they'd adjusted to the darkness. There were windows across the room from me, moonlight pouring in to light up bare, hardwood floor. I could make out the forms of chairs lined up against the walls across from me, barely visible under the high windows. Looking to either side of me, blurrily I could see chairs on the walls perpendicular to the one I was leaning against. It took me a moment longer than I'm proud of to realize I was in a ballroom. Manors had small ballrooms, right? For all of those parties...

I shook my head and struggled to my feet. I needed to get my lantern back, I needed to be able to see. As I stood, I nearly slipped in my own blood--I was leaving quite a dark mess against the wall and on the floor. I had to brace myself against the wall with one hand, the one I'd been using to put pressure on my wound. It was slick with blood, and I'm quite positive I left a disgusting streak as I staggered along the wall. I couldn't go back the way I'd come... I'd have to find a different way around. I knew there was another door leading into the parlor, I would just have to figure out which way would take me there. I stepped away from the wall, slowly to be sure of my steps, and headed towards the windows. I'd hoped to get a look at my wound in some light before I went too far. I would probably need to find a way to bandage it before I bled out. My head was already feeling light and fuzzy.

As I stepped into the center of the huge, open space, I felt a pulse run through me--such an unnatural thing. It made me shiver and almost retch onto the floor, but I managed to keep my composure. I looked around frantically, half-expecting the monster to be slamming its clawed hand at the door any second now. Instead, one of the candles on the wall flickered to life, then another, then another. Soon, all of the candles were sputtering to life along the wall, bathing the ballroom in light. I wasn't aware of my breathing until that moment, and it was heavy, wheezing, and close to gasping. I sounded like a fish out of water would, gulping for sustaining water that wasn't there. My eyes searched the room now lit so brightly, unnerved by the fact that no one had lit these candles. Behind me, I could see my trail of blood, the splatter-step I'd been leaving as I staggered from my spot on the floor to where I stood now. It was hard to believe that all of that was mine. It didn't look like it should've been able to come from a human body, there was so much blood. I had almost forgotten about my wound at this point, the pain was numbed by either a dulling of the senses or such a heightened adrenaline that everything wasn't quite registering correctly. Seeing the trail of blood behind me, though, reminded me that I was bleeding out of a gash in my side. I looked down slowly, fearing what I'd see.

The edges of the bloodied wound were jagged, matching the tears in my shirt. It made me wince to see it so clearly. The blood was beginning to congeal, but it was deep enough that there was still shiny red blood oozing onto my skin. I looked away quickly, closing my eyes against the image of my own meat showing.

As I stood there, holding my side with my eyes closed, I started to sway. I felt like I would faint. Then I started to hear footsteps. Several of them. They were all around me, the rhythmic tap-tap-slide. Dancing. Someone was dancing in the ballroom. I opened my eyes, suddenly hopeful that someone else was in this manor, someone that could help me get out of it. Instead, I saw no one, but the sound of dancing didn't disappear. Instead, the rustle of clothing joined in, dresses being jostled and swept across the floor. I heard, faintly, music playing. It was eerie but calming at the same time, and I knew, in the back of my mind, that this must have been the end for me. Maybe I just died. Maybe, instead of standing here in the middle of the ballroom, I was actually lying in my bloody mess, bled out, dead.

With this thought, I slowly turned to look behind me, praying that like in the bedroom, I would not see myself lying there. I didn't, and a strange sense of relief flooded over me. I wasn't dead, but this wasn't a dream. I had to survive, for real, because there was no waking up to escape this.

The music was beginning to fade, sounding broken and off key as it drifted back into the nether where it came from. The footsteps, the dancing, the swaying of dresses and suits all joined it, disappearing into oblivion. It made me sad in a way, the music and the sound of people enjoying themselves was comforting. It made me feel safer for a while. When the last of the ghostly sound vanished, I was forced into some form of action. The room was too quiet, too empty now. I staggered and swayed for a bit, then made my way towards the windows again. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a door set in the wall, closed. My attention shifted to the door instead, and my slow steps altered their course. My guess was this door would at least lead in the direction of the parlor where my lantern was, where the one object keeping me sane was lying in the dark.

I stopped before the door, staring at it. Listening. I couldn't hear anything on the other side, but I had no doubt the monster was long gone. My hands were shaking so badly as I lifted them to try the handle of the door. It shook, then the latch lifted. I couldn't help but smile to myself, then grimace as my wound twinged with pain when I pushed the door open. I let it swing on its own, watching. I crouched low to the ground, moving to one side of the door frame to cover myself as much as I could. I couldn't afford another hit by that monster. The way beyond the door was dark, and it looked like a supply cupboard, a back route for servitors to bring food to guests. It connected to another room, but also turned off, probably leading to the foyer. No one and nothing was in there, so I chanced stepping in. I wasn't terribly sure in my footing, I didn't trust my legs not to give out on me, so I held one hand against the wall, using it to guide me. The way ahead was dark again, and in my weakened state, looked as though it were shifting. I almost fell over because the walls were moving. 

I followed the wall until the junction for the foyer hall met the one I was in. I touched my pocket, feeling the key inside of it. My heart lept excitedly once I realized that I could just try the key now. I didn't need my lantern to see if it would work. I just needed to get out of here. My steps quickened as I turned down this other hallway, making my way to the foyer again. I hesitated at the door, pressing my ear against it, listening. Nothing. I opened the door slowly, finding myself entering the foyer underneath the stairs. I stared around, eyes wide, breath shakey. Nothing was in the foyer, and I couldn't hear anything from any of the other rooms. I pushed the door open further and crept out of the hall, keeping myself low to the ground as I made my way across the open foyer. The doors were so close..

I nearly ran to the doors the last few feet, but the pain in my side kept me from moving too fast. My shaking hand fumbled the key from my pocket and I jammed it at the keyhole in the door. It took me a few tries to even get the key near the lock, and when I did, my heart skipped a beat and I held my breath. I tried to turn it. It didn't work.

Damnit...


End file.
